This document outlines the agenda and methodology for conducting a security vulnerability assessment. It defines key terms like vulnerability and vulnerability assessment. It explains why an assessment is important, citing legal obligations, campus safety concerns, and recommendations from post-incident reports. The methodology discusses conducting an environment scan of the internal and external campus, reviewing physical security systems, and assessing policies, procedures, response capacity, and overall risk. The goal is to identify potential risks, weaknesses, and areas for improvement to enhance campus safety.

1. Conducting a Security
Vulnerability Assessment

2. Agenda
• Introductions
• Definitions
• Why an Assessment
• Methodology

3. Definitions
• Vulnerability: the state of being exposed or
susceptible to harm or injury
• Vulnerability Assessment: ongoing, critical
evaluation to identify potential risks and
areas of weakness that could have
adverse consequences for institutions and
their systems
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4. Definitions
• Hazards Assessment: focuses on
general hazards to determine what
hazards you might be prone to.
• Risk Analysis: focuses on risk levels
and consequences
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5. Why An Assessment
• The Campus Landscape
• Legal Obligations
ü Case Law
• Post Incident Reports
ü Most notably those from institutions, state
and Federal gov’t, & professional associations
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6. Campus Safety Landscape
• High-risk drinking • Fire and life safety
• Illegal and prescription • Mental illness and
drug use and abuse suicide
• Violence • Food poisoning, food-
borne illness, pandemic
- VAW
• Terrorist threats
- Criminal intrusions,
including rampage
shooters
• Natural disasters
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7. Campus Safety Landscape

8. Legal Obligations
• You own/control premises
• You operate programs, on and off campus
• You have “special relationships” with
students
• Laws and regulations
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9. Mullins v. Pine Manor College
• 1983 case involving an assault on a female student
on campus by a non-student assailant
ü Massachusetts Supreme Court found the college
liable for negligent security.
"Parents, students and the general community still
have a reasonable expectation, fostered in part by
the colleges themselves, that
reasonable care will
be exercised to protect resident students from
foreseeable harm."
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10. After-Action Reports
• More than 20 state reports following Virginia
Tech tragedy
ü VT Report, State of Florida, California
• Report to the President
• Several professional association reports
ü Notably National Association of Attorneys
General; IACLEA Blueprint
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11. After-Action Reports
• These reports all recommended
institutions conduct a risk or vulnerability,
assessment:
“…each college and university (should)
conduct a critical infrastructure
assessment using trained security
specialists.” (Florida Gubernatorial Task
Force for University Campus Safety)
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12. Organizational Framework
FEMA’s 4 Phases of Emergency Management
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13. Methodology
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14. Environment Scan
• Internal assessment
ü ID critical infrastructure and other facilities
ü ID perceived threats and vulnerabilities from
key constituents (remember Law of
Diminishing Returns)
ü Catalog findings (threats to people, property,
natural acts, terrorism)
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15. Environment Scan
• External assessment
ü Crime on/around campus – reported and
unreported
² Perception of safety/fear of crime
² Crime in local area
ü AOD issues
ü VAW
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16. Physical Security Systems
• Review campus physical security systems
ü Perimeter – fence or other boundary,
cameras
ü Building Perimeter - access control, cameras
ü Interior – intrusion alarms, panic/duress
alarms, cameras
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17. Policies, Procedures & Education
• Human Resources
• Residential Living
• Workplace Violence
• Training and Awareness
• Violence Against Women Prevention Policies
• Drugs, Alcohol and Weapons
• Access Control
• EAP
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18. Response Capacity
• Campus public safety entity
• All Hazards Emergency Management – Concept of
Operations
ü Evacuation
• Mass, Emergency Notification & Timely Warning
• MOU/MOA
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19. Risk=VCT
• Vulnerability
• Consequence
• Threat
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20. Justifying the Assessment
• ROI
• Avoiding Hyperbole
• Advocating for All Hazards

21. 4 C’s
• Collaborate
• Communicate
• Coordinate
• Capitalize

22. Contact
www.Margolis-Healy.com
shealy@margolis-healy.com
gmargolis@margolis-healy.com
1-866-817-5817